Eloise
by Vanilla Twist
Summary: All we know about Eloise Midgen is that she tried to curse away her acne. But what was her real story?? R/R
1. Garden Parties and Momma's Temper

Eloise 

Rated: PG

Author: Vanilla Twist

Summary: "_Such an Ugly Child!" _Everyone talked about poor little Eloise Midgen, cursed to be ugly.  Doesn't anyone realize, It's the inside that counts?

Chapter One  -- Garden Parties and Momma's Temper

"Such an ugly child." The woman whispered to her companion.  "The poor dear."

            "Her poor mother!" The other said brushing her long Raven black bangs from her eyes.  "I imagine she'll have trouble turning her into a proper lady, and even if she could, imagine trying to marry her off!" 

            "It's her own fault." The first said spitefully hatred filling her large green eyes.  "If she hadn't run off with that kitchen boy, then the child wouldn't have brought such disgrace.  Barely out of school, barely sixteen, and already a mother." 

The Raven-haired woman nodded. "Not much of a husband to speak of either."

"Aunt Toni! Auntie Shauna!" cried a little girl of about five racing across the yard towards the sisters. 

"Eloise! _Darling_!" The raven-haired witch answered plastering on a sweet smile. "Antoinette and I were just talking about you." 

"Yes!" Antoinette continued. "Talking about your mother and father." 

"My momma's here." Little Eloise informed them proudly. "She made me this dress all by herself!" Eloise dipped into a sweet little courtesy, showing off the little blue dress.  

"How lovely." Antoinette said sourly, thinking of ruining perfectly groomed hands at the sewing machine made her queasy.   

"There she is!" Eloise shrieked enthusiastically.  Then she yelled, "Momma I'm over here!" causing both of her aunts to wince.  

"I'm right here baby." Colleen Spruce-Midgen answered scooping her daughter into a gentle hug. 

"Look momma! The aunts are here, too!" Eloise said into her mother's shoulder.  

"Good Evening Antoinette, Shauna." Colleen greeted eyeing her elder sisters over her daughter's head warily.  

"Colleen." Shauna nodded at the auburn-haired beauty before her. 

Scowling at her youngest sister, Antoinette sharply asked, "So how are things in the lower class?"  

Colleen frowned. "Ely honey, go play with the house elves." 

"But momma, I wanna talk to the Aunts too." Eloise argued. 

"Eloise, please go." Colleen pleaded with her eyes.

"Alright Momma." Eloise said, sulking off to find an elf to play with. 

Eloise sat on a little garden bench playing a hand of Go Fish with a wrinkly old elf.  She sighed as she watched her Mother and Aunts talking across the garden.  They were getting really loud.  People were beginning to watch their argument closely.  

"Is young Miss well?" Asked the old elf, concerned at Eloise's lack of attention. 

"Why doesn't momma like the Aunts?" She wondered aloud.  

"Cannot say, any, Mushy cannot." The tired elf said.

"Deal again, please Mushy."  The little girl commanded gently. 

  The elf did as instructed and soon the two were deeply engrossed in a game of Rummy.  The voices from the other side of the garden grew louder until finally Eloise (and the other guests of The Spruce Garden party) heard Colleen exclaim (very loudly), "I don't need to take this from you!"

Eloise heard the **SWOOSH **of her mother's beautiful 2nd hand dress robes before she saw her.  Colleen grabbed her daughter's hand and gently tugged her foreword. 

"Come on baby, we're leaving." Colleen said softly.  

"But I didn't say good bye to the Aunts!" Eloise protested. 

"Eloise says good bye!" Colleen called across the lovely gardens she grew up in at the sisters she lost respect for.

"Momma." Eloise started. "You're walking too fast!" 

Colleen just pulled her foreword, towards the fireplace.  

"Clover Cottage!" She yelled throwing a pinch of white powder into the fire and stepping into the grate, firmly holding Eloise's hand.  

They stepped from the rusty old grate of a cozy old cottage to be greeted by a large beefy man with a kind young face.  He had sandy hair and Irish freckles.  

"Colleen!" He exclaimed. "You're back so early." Then catching the cold expression on his wife's face he frowned. "What happened?"

"Eloise, please go get in pajamas, I need to talk to Daddy."  Colleen said quietly.  

Eloise hugged her mother before trudging up the stairs to the little loft where she slept.  Opening a large wicker chest at the foot of the old little bed at the center of the room, Eloise pulled out her favorite nightgown.  Her Daddy had given it to her for Christmas the previous year, but it still fit.  

She pulled the little blue dress over her head and hung it back on its hanger, just like momma showed her. Then she yanked the little pink nightgown over her head and crawled under the covers, waiting for Daddy to tuck her in. 

She heard her momma's angry voice from downstairs and sighed. 

_Why did the Aunts make Momma so cross? _

Colleen's voice was getting louder and louder.  

"This is all your fault!" She yelled. 

"Colleen hush! Please honey, Ely's upstairs."  Shane Midgen pleaded trying to match his wife' voice.

"She's another reason you should swallow your pride and go talk to them!" Colleen screamed.  "They have so much and what do we have??  NOTHING!"

"That's not true." Shane said quietly.  "We have each other.  That used to be enough for you." 

Colleen burst into tears as Shane climbed the stairs to his daughter's room.  

"How's my little princess?" He asked softly into the darkness.  

"I'm fine Daddy." Eloise said, slowly crawling out of bed and towards her father.  

"That's good Princess." Shane said, trying to tune out his wife's miserable sobs from downstairs.  

Sensing her father's distress and the cause of it, Eloise hugged him.  

"She isn't mad at you Daddy.  The Aunts make her cross."  She said and his eyes filled with tears.  "She loves you very much." 

Shane Midgen hugged his 5-year-old daughter tightly, letting warm tears fall.  He could only wish he shared her confidence in Colleen's love for him.  

"Goodnight Daddy." Eloise said before climbing back into bed. "Tell Momma good night for me too."  

Within moments she was asleep.   Shane kissed his daughter's forehead, allowing his own tears to fall on her sandy colored hair.  "Goodnight Eloise.  I love you, my little princess."  

A/N -  

Ok.  I hope someone is nice enough to read AND review my story.  I know it isn't anywhere near done, but I think It's actually off to a good start.  To avoid further confusion;

            Eloise – Is the Eloise Midgen from the Harry Potter Books, Therefore I do not own her, only the idea of what she is like as a young child and later as a student.

            The Aunts – (Antoinette and Shauna Spruce are original characters) Shauna's appearance is very loosely based on that of Scarlet O'Hara from _Gone With the Wind _(an excellent book I highly recommend).  Antoinette's is from the depths of my imagination.  

            Colleen – Eloise's Mother was born into the wealthy Spruce family but fell in love with the son of a maid and had his baby (Eloise).  Later she married him.  She's young only 21 but acts like she's a grouchy old maid.  

            Shane – Eloise's Father.  For an appearance think a Happy cheerful blonde Mr. Dursley.  A large cheery man, who adores his daughter and wife.

Alrighty now! There will be more very very soon.  I'm hoping to do a Cinderella spin off with this story, but I don't know yet. I'd appreciate your Opinion!

                        Thanks sooooooo much!

Sugar quills, love and a fluffy plot!

                                                *~ Vanilla Twist ~*


	2. The Worst Christmas

Eloise

Rating: PG-13

Author: Vanilla Twist

Disclaimer: NOT MINE!! (to see what does belong to me, look for what the bird left on the rock) Oh Well, I can always wish I was Joann Rowling right?

Chapter Two – The Worst Christmas 

Christmas Eve, 1987

            Eloise watched as snowflakes the size of golden snitches fell from the sky.  She sat alone in her room staring blankly out of the small window her father made for her when she was much younger. She simply sat beside the window, watching the snow, and daydreaming about the Christmas Gifts she'd open in the morning.  She was a perfectly happy little girl of seven, who had sparkling eyes and a sweet smile.  Her long sandy-colored hair was braided into a neat plait and her emerald party dress _SWOOSHED_ like her mother's when she spun in circles. 

            Loud voices came from downstairs, and little Eloise sighed.  Her Momma was shouting _again_.  That's all Colleen ever did anymore, shout and cry.  There would be a new baby soon, but her Momma didn't care. Her Momma didn't care about anyone anymore, only about inheritance (whatever that was) and what the aunts thought.  

            _"I **HATE** YOU!"_ Came Colleen's angry voice from downstairs.  _"I **HATE** YOU SO MUCH!  ALL THAT YOU'VE EVER DONE IS RUIN ME!  DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL ME?"_

            "Colleen." Shane's soothing voice drifted upstairs.  "Calm down, please.  The baby…"

            "ISN'T YOURS!" Colleen shrieked. 

            Eloise shifted in her seat, the uncomfortable silence from her parents was broken by the resounding **_"CRACK" _**of Shane Midgen's fist colliding with his wife's jaw.  Then again there was silence as though someone hit the mute button.

            Eloise shivered and promptly slammed her window shut.  The sound seemed to reawaken her parents downstairs.  Colleen's sobs came, gut wrenching and fearful and the door slammed, indicating Shane had left.  Eloise began checked the clock on her bedside table and saw it was nearly supper.  She took a deep breath and began the trek down the stairs.

            Colleen looked up as her daughter passed by the couch where she lay, let out a sniffle and beckoned her over.  

            "Sweet Eloise." Colleen began, voice like tired honey and laced with tears.  "Could you do Momma a favor?"  

            The child nodded, eyes not leaving the angry red spot below her mother's eye, swelling larger by the moment.  

            "Please fetch me my wand, and an ice pack baby." Colleen winced, as though each word brought her more pain.  "Then behind my mirror in the closet there's a suitcase, please take it to the door."

            The girl nodded again, eyes fearful as her mother's breathing became more irregular.  

            "Momma are you okay?" She whispered.  "You look sick.  Is your baby coming?" 

            "No Ely, I'm fine." She replied weakly.  "Don't let Daddy see the suitcase okay baby? It's important that Daddy doesn't know.  He'll be angry.  Your daddy is a bad man when he becomes angry."

            Eloise nodded and did as her mother asked, and was just taking the suitcase from the bedroom when her father saw her. 

            "Eloise what are you doing?" He asked softly, resting a large hand on her shoulder. She flinched.  He quickly drew back his hand.  

            "I see you've been talking to your mother."  He said, voice flat.  "She's trying to run again is she El? Well I'm sick of her bull.  Go on up to bed, I'll deal with her." 

            "How will you deal with me precisely?" Colleen asked from the doorway.  "I'm leaving Shane.  I can't live here anymore.  I tried to live with your kind, but it doesn't work.  I'm going back with Mother."

Eloise turned away.  Dropping the suitcase, she ran past Shane and into her mother's arms.  

"Back to your boyfriend more likely." Shane's breath reeked of whiskey.  "Go be his tramp.  I don't care.  Leave, but you leave my daughter here."

"Daddy, don't be cross." Eloise pleaded from Colleen's arms.  "Just kiss and make up again."  

"It's too late for that." Shane barked raising his wand.  "Give me my daughter Colleen."  

"NO!" Colleen sobbed as she held Eloise to her.  "Shane PLEASE!"

He aimed his wand at Eloise and she covered her face in fear.  

"Daddy NO!" She screamed.  

"_Accio_ Eloise!" His deep voice boomed.  

Colleen sobbed.  

"Stop it Wench!" He screamed in his drunken rage.  "_Crucio_!"

Colleen crumbled to the ground in pain. Then she rose, wand in hand.  

"_Expelliarmus_!" She shrieked through her sobs, seconds after Shane had yelled, "Stupefy!"  The two spells met in midair and bounced off each other, one hitting the clock on the wall (which burst into flame.) the other hitting Eloise square in the face. She screamed and fell back, stunned.  

(A/N – sorry to interrupt, but… ok, this is a story about Eloise Midgen, seen through her eyes (but told in the third person). It's my attempt at mixing my writing style with J.K. Rowling's.  Okay?)

Christmas Day, 1987 

            "_Enervate_." A grim faced man dressed in lime robes bearing an emblem of a wand and bone crossed awaked Eloise.  

            "We have a live one here!" He hollered back.  Eloise shook her head and looked around.

            "Momma?" She asked.  "Where's my Momma?" 

            The wizard ignored her question, and picked her up.  He carried her outside the cottage to a kind faced woman, also wearing the lime robes.  

            "Deal with her Poppy." He said gruffly.  "I must tend the deceased." 

            "Her parents?" The woman gasped. 

            Eloise couldn't see the man's face, but from the look of pity on the woman's face, she knew her parents were indeed deceased, whatever that meant.  

            "When will Momma be back from Deceased?" Eloise asked the woman after the man had left. 

            The woman smiled slightly, "What's your name dear?"   She asked ignoring the question.  

            "Eloise Charlotte Midgen. Did Daddy go to Deceased too?" She asked.

            "Hello Eloise Charlotte Midgen, my name is Poppy Pomphrey. How old are you?" She asked, violet clip bored in hand. 

            "I'm seven.  How old are you?" She asked curiously. "And when are Momma and Daddy coming back?"

            "Eloise, dear, Your Mother and father will not come back." She said, slightly impatiently.  "They are deceased."

            "Excuse me for being rude." Eloise said earnestly. "But I'd like to know where Deceased is so that I can find them."

            "Deceased is not a place.  Rather it is a state of…" Poppy began again.

            "So its in America then?" She piped up happily.  Momma always talked about The States.  When can I go meet them?"

            "Eloise, your parents are not of this world any longer." Poppy sniffed.  "You will not meet them and they CANNOT come back."

            "I don't understand." Eloise mumbled, fear in her eyes.  "I'm all alone." 

            "Not all alone.  You do have surviving relatives, correct?" 

            Eloise nodded though she wasn't exactly sure what the witch meant by "surviving relatives".   All she wanted to do was to wake up and find that it was all a dream.  She'd bound down the stairs to the tall fur tree her father had decorated for her and sees the lovely gifts from Saint Nicholas and her parents.  She even would have been happy to see the Aunts tonight at the Christmas Ball the Spruce Family held. She'd twirl with her father in the newly pressed emerald dress Momma sewed for her.  Then she'd smile sweetly at her grandmother who would give her chocolate lacquers for good behavior.  

She didn't know or care how long she had been asleep, but when she woke next it was dark outside and she was being carried.  She squeezed her eyes shut trying to pretend the arms holding her were her father's.  

"My Little Princess." He'd whisper before pulling the covers to her chin and kissing her forehead.  "My Eloise."

But she knew it wasn't Shane Midgen, He would carry her carefully in fear of hurting her.  She squirmed uncomfortably. 

            "Awake, are you?" The man asked gruffly.  

            "Where are we going?" She asked him. He chuckled.

            "Yeh never stop asking questions do yeh?" He smiled.  "We're going to get the next portkey to your new place to live."

            "Where would that be?" she asked. 

            "Spruce Garden's Estate.  Your to live with yer 'aunts."

Author's Note -  

            Hey! Thanks for reading.  Seems a bit darker huh?  Any who I'm changing the rating from PG to PG-13 (big whoop right?) and I'm still in dire need of feedback!  

I think I'll thank my reviewer!

            **OtterMoon** – Thanks soooo much for reviewing!!  I'm glad you like it and I really want to update more soon, too. 

                        Don't be shy! Read AND review!!!!!

                                    (This applies to you too sister dear!)

                                                Love and plotful fluff!

                                                            ~Vanilla Twist


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